Hunting Dogs

I frequently hear questions like, "At what age do I introduce my dog to the gun?" and, "How old should my dog be before I use the e-collar?" The problem is that these training benchmarks are not related to a dog's age; approaching these and other milestones successfully can happen only when a trainer has properly prepared his dog.

Training dogs for excellent performance in the field is not as simple as putting a meatloaf in the oven at 375° for an hour and -d-Voila!-it's done. Dogs' genetics vary greatly, even within well-established breeds. Some dogs progress less rapidly than others, and personality traits vary, with some dogs being bold and confident and others more apprehensive. Environmental exposures, particularly during the imprinting stage, from six to 20 weeks, play a huge role in how well and how soon a dog will respond to structured learning.

Training bird dogs doesn't take place with scripted character types out of Animal Farm, and it is impossible to write a prescription for chronological training programs that will apply to all dogs.

Notice I said "training programs." The operative word here is "programs." Proper training is not a mixture of fragmented exercises done randomly. Developing a dog into an enthusiastic hunter who handles in control and exhibits solid bird manners requires a building-block program. If the foundation on which we are to build isn't strong or doesn't exist, then it is a fantasy to think the end result will be a polished dog in the field or in the home. The same principles of training apply to the companion dog as to the field dog questing for game. In fact, most of us ask double duty of our dogs: We want likeable companions who not only are under control at home but also can bring home the bacon in the hunting arena.

It doesn't make sense to me to ask a kid to spell "theater" if he cannot spell "the." This analogy certainly applies to dogs and their training. As mentioned, dog training is a series of building blocks, with a more advanced level of learning being built on a solid, previously learned task.

Because of the vagaries in dogs and training, it is impossible to make the blanket statement that "a dog should be introduced to the gun at 20 weeks of age." Decisions need to be made based on benchmarks. When the dog is doing this or when the dog has learned that will dictate the time to progress.
Introducing the dog to the sound of a gunshot, live birds and the e-collar are all based on reaching prerequisite benchmarks. When should obedience training begin? Should the dog be allowed to chase birds? Should I begin teaching the dog to hold point? Should I line steady my retriever now? These questions are each valid. The correct answers must take into consideration what the dog has been exposed to previously and how he's responded. By using benchmarks, training will advance at the right time for that particular dog.

So what is the correct benchmark to move forward in a certain aspect of training? I'll set some parameters that address the most commonly asked questions.

Question: When should the dog be introduced to live birds?

Answer: Taking into account that this is not an exact science, I prefer to introduce a dog to live birds during the imprinting stage, before it reaches 20 weeks of age (see "The First 20 Weeks," March/April '06). But first I want the youngster to be confident. The pup should be comfortable running around in the same environment where I am going to introduce the bird.

Before exposing the dog to a flushing bird, I initially would toss out a locked-wing quail or pigeon in plain view of the dog. A locked-wing bird is not able to flap, possibly scaring the dog. A bird also can be put in a harness, preventing it from flying. A harness is preferable for quail, as their wings have a tendency to unlock (see "Dog, Meet Birds," Jan/Feb '07)

Once the dog is confident with the locked-wing, I progress to a clipped-wing bird, created by placing a strap of Velcro around a cluster of flight feathers (the long primary feathers). When the bird is thrown, it will be able to fly only 15 or 20 yards, but this time it will be able to flap. Once I see that the predatory genetics of a hunter are present in the dog and that the flapping creates no apprehension, I progress to the flush.

To do this, I dizzy a pigeon, quail or chukar and toss it out in view of the restrained dog. I then release the dog, which should charge for the bird. When the bird flushes, hopefully the dog will be off to the races trying to catch its feathered prey.

When I am certain the dog has zero apprehension with the flush, I seed the field with quail and take the dog for short hunting walks.

A word of caution: The period from eight to 10 weeks is a fearful stage for most dogs. During this two-week period a dog is more inclined to make negative associations and is more easily spooked. Also bear in mind that a dog's eyesight is not yet fully developed at eight weeks. An ideal time to imprint birds on a confident dog is when the dog is between 10 and 12 weeks of age.

If a dog is older and has not been exposed to birds, I strongly advocate first introducing the dog to a locked-wing bird before exposing it to the flush of a cackling rooster or thundering grouse.

Question: At what point should I first shoot over my dog?

Answer: The benchmark for introducing a dog to the gun is that the dog is aggressively chasing a clipped-wing bird and enthusiastically questing for quail in the hunt walk as explained previously. If the dog does not demonstrate a high level of desire for birds, it should not be introduced to the gun. That would be putting the cart before the horse.

Question: What is the right age to introduce the dog to the e-collar?

Answer: Once again, it is not a question of age. I have introduced dogs to low-level stimulation at 12 weeks, but only after they clearly have understood and complied with the command that is being reinforced with the collar.

The benchmark for introducing the e-collar is that the dog complies with the particular command 80 percent of the time in yard training. The collar is not being used to teach the command but rather to teach excellence of response to the already-learned command.

I first introduce a dog to the e-collar with the "Kennel" command. The dog previously has been taught to "Kennel" using clicker training, and then it is introduced to low-level stimulation to fine-tune the response. The e-collar is the bridge to expecting and achieving compliance in the field, but the principles of avoidance training and e-collar training are always taught in the yard before progressing to the field.

Question: Should I let my puppy just be a puppy for the first six months before beginning structured training?

Answer: Absolutely not. It is much more difficult to "unteach" a dog and extinguish undesirable learned behavior than to structure the dog correctly from the beginning. The dog must understand that it does not have a vote in a democracy, and it learns this with simple and consistent structuring. You have to show a pup many times how to learn a task, but a simple command like "Sit" for a flushing dog or "Whoa" for a pointing dog, once taught correctly, can be used at every entry or exit from a building to make the dog compliant.

Before correcting or rewarding a dog, the dog must understand why it is being corrected or rewarded. I first teach a desired behavior with the use of a clicker and a primary reinforcer, most often food. Once I have the behavior in place, I introduce the cue. For example, in the case of the "Kennel" command, I teach the dog to go into the kennel to get a treat. Then I introduce the command "Kennel," saying it once and following with a reward for the dog making an effort or correcting the dog for non-compliance. The correction will vary significantly depending on the dog and its level of training, but at first will consist of requiring the dog to go into the kennel by physically putting it in there. When the dog obviously has learned what the command means and its success rate at complying is consistently around 80 percent, then I can introduce the e-collar.

Question: How long should a dog be allowed to chase birds?

Answer: Once a pointing breed has demonstrated pointing instincts and gun introduction has been completed, I move to yard training and don't let the dog flush or chase any more birds. Once I have taught the "Whoa" command, I move to formal pointing drills with the dog on a check cord.
With a flushing/retrieving breed, I continue running the dog in the field with pick-ups or locked-wing pigeons. This creates an aggressive flush. The introduction to the gun is behind us before we start patterning drills in the field. I also would be working on obedience drills in the yard during this period.

Question: When should I line steady my retriever?

Answer: Before line steadying a dog, the dog should have been shot over and should be fully complying with the "Sit" command in the field.
Let the dog tell you when it is ready to graduate to the next level. Rushing an unprepared dog is a bad deal. By implementing benchmarks, you will know when the dog can handle more-advanced learning.

George Hickox's DVD "Training Pointing Dogs" covers developing a gundog from puppy to polished performer. It can be ordered by visiting www.georgehickox.com.